Taking Shots (Assassins) Read online

  “Oh, hush,” Elli said with a grin, “I know it’s not true, but when you hear it enough it still messes with you.”

  “I know, babe, but look at you now! You’re so happy! When are you going to bring him to friend night?”

  Elli shrugged her shoulders, and then smiled, “When are you bringing Jakob?”

  Harper grinned big, “Actually, they are going to be home next month for it, so I am bringing him then, thank you very much!”

  Elli grinned, as Harper bounced up and down, “Well, if he hasn’t dumped me, I’ll ask him to come.”

  “He ain't gonna dump you! Come on! He’s totally smitten with you.” Elli smiled at the thought, she was totally smitten too and Harper was right, she needed to talk to Shea.

  She’d do it when she arrived home.

  Home?

  When did Shea’s home become her home?

  Well, hells bells.

  When Elli got to Shea’s condo, talking to him went straight out the window. When she had opened the door and saw the red rose petals all over the floor that made a trail to the kitchen her breath caught. She looked around the room and saw the soft lighting of white candles. Tall candles, short candles on little plates, tea cup candles, and big fat ones that had four wicks to them. They were everywhere. Elli smiled to herself as she locked the door, and laid her bag down.

  “Shea?” she called out as she followed the trail to the kitchen, when she turned the corner and saw the island covered in rose petals with two plate settings, lit only by candle light, she covered her mouth in shock. It was so romantic, so sweet; he had gone through all this for her.

  Shea came from the bedroom, with a shy smile on his face. He was wearing a pair of jeans and black button up shirt, with bare feet. His hair was perfectly messy, and he wasn’t wearing his glasses.

  “I thought you would be later,” he said as he came to her, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her softly.

  “I guess the bride and groom were in a hurry,” Elli said with a grin. She nodded towards the island, “What’s all this?”

  “I can't have dinner waiting for my beautiful girlfriend?”

  Elli narrowed her eyes, with a playful grin, “Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Adler?”

  He let her go to put his hands on his chest with an innocent smile on his face, “Me? Never,” he said before wrapping her up in his arms again, kissing her deeply. She basked in his kisses, holding onto him like her life depended on it. He hugged her back, nuzzling her neck. Shea pulled back some to smile down at her before asking, “Are you hungry?”

  “I am,” she answered, he nodded before letting her go and going to the oven. He pulled out a box of pizza and Elli just giggled.

  “What? I can make sandwiches and soup, after that, its take out and pizza.”

  She just smiled; he was so amazing, “It's fine, pizza is awesome.”

  “True that.” Elli about fell over laughing, he looked at her weird, and then smiled, “What now?”

  “True that? Who says that nowadays?” That made him laugh as he sat the box down before bringing a bottle of wine out of the fridge to the island.

  “You shut up,” he said as he poured her a glass, then himself. “It was a very common phrase from back in the day.”

  “That should be left back in the day, thank you.” He smacked her ass as he came around her to go to his seat. She just grinned up at him as they sat to eat. She noticed that the plate settings were the plates that she had gotten him, and looked over at him confused. “I thought you said you were gonna take ‘em back?”

  He shook his head after taking a bite of his pizza, “Nah, you got them for me, I like them.”

  Elli’s heart warmed as they continued to eat. Elli told him all about the beautiful fall wedding and the cake fiasco, and Shea told her about him working out most of the day with Alex and Jakob, and then playing a little pick up at the arena. She enjoyed their dinner, loved the conversation, and afterwards they did the dishes together. She had missed him so much during the day, and just being with him now made her feel so complete inside.

  “Why don’t you go take a bath. I bet your feet are hurting, babe,” Shea said as he started sweeping up petals.

  “Are you sure? I can help.”

  He shook his head, “I did this for you, go take a bath.”

  “Thanks,” she gushed, kissing his cheek before heading for the bedroom. When she opened the bedroom door, candle light was the only light in there too; there were white petals all over the bed, and another trail leading to the bathroom. In the bathroom were more candles, with soft music playing and a tray of bath beads and salts beside the tub. Elli noticed that all the scents were mango, her favorite, and she had to smile. He was so thoughtful. She undressed quickly as the water ran, filling the beautiful claw foot tub. After submerging herself in the hot bathwater that smelled like mangos, she thought to herself:

  Life couldn’t get any better.

  That was until she came out the bathroom and her hot boyfriend was laying in his boxers across the bed. Shea grinned up at her, turning the TV off and pushing something on the remote that started the iHome on the dresser. She smiled, crawling onto the bed, beside him as Powerful Stuff played, filling the room with the sexy music that they had first danced to.

  “Oh, you are laying it on thick, Mr. Adler.” Shea laughed, cuddling up beside her.

  “Is it working?”

  “Maybe,” she giggled as he nuzzled her neck, kissing and licking as he made it to her shoulder, where he bit softly. “Mm,” she gasped as he came back to her mouth, his body covering hers.

  Shit, this was some powerful stuff, she thought as his hands roamed her body. They continued to make out until Just as Kiss started. Elli pulled back, looking into his eyes, running her hand down his jaw. This was their song, and she just wanted to look at him. As the female’s voice filled the room, Elli wanted nothing more than to sing the words to Shea, and when the guy started singing and Shea’s lips moved along with the words, Elli swore she couldn’t breathe.

  “This is our song,” Elli whispered, he smiled, kissing her forehead before nodding.

  “I agree.”

  “But I’m still not ready to have sex.” His smiled stayed on his face as he nodded.

  “That’s fine, baby.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I-” he stopped, then closed his eyes before dropping his head to her chest taking a deep breath, when he brought his head back up to look down at her, he looked nervous. “I’m sure.”

  For some reason, Elli didn’t think that was what he was gonna say.

  As Shea watched Elli leave Monday morning for work, he still couldn’t believe he'd almost told her he loved her. He had missed her all day Saturday, and then after their dinner and just being with her, he really couldn’t blame himself for wanting to tell her, but he couldn’t. Shea was not scared of much, but the thought of Elli rejecting his love or telling him that she didn’t love him. Hell, he was pretty sure it would crush him. So he might as well push them feelings way down, wait it out, wait for her to say it.

  Like always when things were bothering him, after showering and cleaning up some from the movie day they had had yesterday, he headed over to Grace’s. It was as if she knew he was coming because she was laying out a big breakfast when he walked in. Grace smiled when she saw him as she laid Amelia’s plate down.

  “Hey, how’s your collarbone? I saw that hit,” she said, kissing his cheek before going around him to lay Ryan’s plate down.

  “It's good, sorry I didn’t call this weekend.”

  “Ah, no big deal, I know how it is when someone new comes along and gets all your time. I did it to you with James.”

  “You did,” Shea agreed sitting down next to Ryan. Ryan was shoveling food in his mouth, not even paying attention to Shea. “What’s up with him?”

  “He’s mad at me because I won’t let him play hockey with the big kids in the street.”

  “I am bett